


Heirs of the Future Past

by ChronoXtreme



Category: Fire Emblem Series, Fire Emblem: If | Fire Emblem: Fates
Genre: Angst and Hurt/Comfort, But it ends happy, DON'T BE FOOLED, F/M, Family Fluff, Family Reunions, Gen, Heavy Angst, Heavy spoilers for Revelation, Heirs of Fate, Heirs of Fate DLC, It will get dark, Love Confessions, No Deeprealms, Not in the typical sense but you know what I mean, Possession, Romantic Fluff, Screw all that, Time Travel, and basically everything
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-07-12
Updated: 2019-07-12
Packaged: 2020-06-26 20:07:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,655
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19775482
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ChronoXtreme/pseuds/ChronoXtreme
Summary: Twenty one years after Corrin and her army supposedly defeated Anankos, their children stand in a ruined future. Determined to set things right, they travel back in time to before the final showdown with the Silent Dragon to meet their parents and avert the disastrous future that led to their deaths. Kana and Forrest are particularly excited to meet their mother and father after years of separation.Except, there's one slight problem: Corrin and Leo have no idea how the other feels about them, and are shocked when they discover the future of their family.More insidiously, Anankos is determined to make sure the future does not change from its intended course...





	Heirs of the Future Past

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Mori_no_Majou](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mori_no_Majou/gifts).

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _"Reports have come in of shadows looming on the horizon, gathering near the sea. I would normally discount these accounts as simply ghost stories passed along by bored fishermen, but in conjunction with reports you've received from the merchant convoys passing by Mount Garou, I've become much more wary. By your leave, I've doubled the garrison in Cyrkensia, a move that bears unsettling connotations for the populace._
> 
> _She still has not returned, Xander. I have full faith in her abilities, but with the reports we've gathered, as well as the paranoia in Krakenburg... I'm terrified. We may have another war on the horizon, at a time when Nohr is ill suited for it._
> 
> _May your fortunes at home be brighter than ours._
> 
> _Your loyal brother,_  
>  _Leo"_  
>  — A missive sent from Prince Leo to King Xander of Nohr, dated April 3rd, 674. The letter never arrived at Castle Krakenburg.

Smoke. Fire. Screams. 

Kana’s legs struggled to catch up, his chest aching as Forrest tugged him along. The air was too thick, too hot and black to breathe right, but there was no time to cough. All they could do was run, little bits of grey swirling around them as the fire ate its way towards them. It all happened so fast, too fast, like Forrest’s legs in front of his own. 

_ Papa, where are you? _

“Almost there, kids!” Uncle Niles called back, and Kana blinked back tears. Good; he was so tired of running, pushing through people and their screams. Now it was soldiers they had to push through, shiny swords and spears gleaming in the firelight. “Lord Leo!” Finally they slowed down, and Kana coughed hard, so hard that he couldn’t stop. Tears fell from his eyes, stinging them as they dripped down his chin. Spit hit the stones, black instead of clear. 

“Are you okay, Kana?” Forrest asked, his silver curls bobbing as he bent over. His own eyes were red and puffy. 

No crying. Be strong. He wiped away his tears with his fist, then nodded. Forrest stared at him a moment longer, then whirled around as a shadow came towards them. A monster? 

“Father!” Forrest cried, and Kana gasped as Papa came out of the smoke, his hair covered in grey. His clothes were all dirty, smushed with dirt and soot — the maids would get extra mad at him for that — and something red that made Kana’s stomach turn queasy. But when Papa ran towards them, he forgot all about that. 

Scooped up in Papa’s arms, Kana knew everything was going to be all right. 

“Gods be good,” Papa breathed, and Kana giggled as he kissed them both, smearing the ash on their cheeks. “Are you hurt, either of you?” His big hands first cupped Forrest’s cheeks, then Kana’s, wiping away ash with his thumbs. 

“We’re all right, Father,” Forrest replied, but then he coughed hard into his hands. 

“The smoke hurts,” Kana whispered. “What’s happening, Papa? Why is there so much fire?” He had to cough again, but this time was better — no black spit. 

“We have to leave,” Papa said, looking up at Uncle Niles. “Get the horses, meet them outside on the crossroads. I’ll take them from here.” 

“I won’t leave you behind, Lord Leo,” Niles growled, his arms folded tight. “I’d charge straight into that fire first.” Kana swallowed, looking between him and Papa. He’d never seen Uncle Niles so mad before, and never at Papa. His fingers curled into Forrest’s skirts. 

“You swore to obey any order I gave you,” Papa snapped back, his eyes like slits, and Kana cringed away. “The safety of my children comes before mine, every time. Get the horses,  _ now.” _

Niles only stopped for a moment, then ran off through the crowd. 

“Where are we going, Father?” Forrest asked, his hand tight on Kana’s own. 

“As far away from here as we can,” Papa answered grimly. “Forrest, hold onto my hand, and don’t let go.” 

“Wait! What about Mama? We have to wait for her!” Kana yelped as Papa scooped him up from off the ground, latching onto his collar. “We can’t leave!”

Papa didn’t say anything. He just ran, and Kana gasped as he tried to hang on. The fire was bigger than before, too big: he could see where the fancy opera house was in flames, its pretty spires crumbling to the ground. Smoke billowed everywhere, like an angry stormcloud ready to let loose with lightning and thunder. Why? What happened? Why was their home being eaten up?

A loud  _ crack _ made Kana jump, and he whirled around to see something flaming falling towards them.  _ “Papa!” _ he screamed, squeezing his eyes shut as he waited for it to crush them. 

When he opened his eyes again, a rock pillar stuck up in the middle of the street, holding up the burning wood above them. Papa’s other hand glowed, and Kana’s eyes widened as he saw Papa’s special book floating in front of them, bobbing up and down in the air like an apple in a pond. “Is everyone all right?” Papa called out. 

“I’m fine!” Forrest answered, his dress smeared with ash. 

“I’m okay,” Kana whispered. Quickly he tucked his head into Papa’s neck — he didn’t want to see anymore. It was all too much — too hot, too loud, too scary. Even when the screams dug into his ears and the heat baked his skin, he didn’t open his eyes.  _ Just make it go away. Make it all go away. Make it disappear… _

He didn’t know how long they ran. It seemed like forever, and he could hear Papa’s chest grinding as he coughed. His fingers ached the longer he held on. When they came to a stop, he almost fell off Papa’s hip but somehow managed to hang on. 

“Where’s Uncle Niles?” Forrest asked, his voice too high. 

“Farther on ahead,” Papa answered, but Kana felt the tremor in his voice.  _ He’s lying.  _

When he opened his eyes, there was only one horse: Gudrun. His white coat was specked with black soot — like the dogs that ran in the streets sometimes. “Forrest, up onto Gudrun,” Papa ordered. Forrest nodded, grunting as he swung up his foot into the stirrup. With a quick hoist, Papa helped him into the saddle. His eyes were frightened as he lifted Kana onto the horse next. He didn’t understand — Papa was never scared, Papa  _ shouldn’t _ be scared — but he didn’t struggle. Riding Papa’s horse was something Kana never got to do anymore, and he clung onto Gudrun’s mane tightly. The hair was thick and rough between his fingers.

“Forrest.” Papa rushed through the words, his voice sharp as he grabbed the reins. “You take your brother, ride to Windmire, to Castle Krakenburg. You’ll go faster with just two.”

What? What was Papa saying? Faster with just two?

Why just two?

“Yes, Father,” Forrest said, taking the reins from Papa. Kana trembled, looking from his hands to Papa’s large ones. This wasn’t right! Papa was the one who always held the reins — Papa was the one who rode Gudrun. Not just Kana and Forrest. Not alone.

“But Papa,” Kana cried, reaching down for him. “You said that Forrest can’t ride Gudrun! He’s too big for him!”

Papa ignored him, looking at Forrest. “You must find King Xander. Tell him that Cyrkensia has fallen, and that your mother…” Papa made a strange choking noise, and suddenly his eyes were shiny. Were they red because of the firelight or the smoke or…? “Never mind. I’ll meet with him myself. Take the northwest road and don’t stop, not even to sleep or eat. Do you understand?”

Forrest trembled as he nodded, shaking like a leaf, and Kana suddenly understood.

Papa wasn’t coming with them.

“I don’t want to go!” He reached for Papa, grabbing his collar, trying to hold onto him as tight as I can. “I don’t wanna!” His eyes burned, the world burning and blurry and too loud, but Papa’s liquid brown eyes were clear. 

“Kana,” he breathed, and he whimpered as Papa caught both of his cheeks, holding his face in his hands. “I  _ will _ find you there.”

“Promise!” he sobbed.  _ “Promise!” _

Papa’s mouth opened, but a scream rang in their ears and Kana could see the fire in the distance, big and hot and coming towards them like a monster in one of Aunt Azura’s scary stories. Except this wasn’t a story — it was real, and Papa shouted for them to go, tearing Kana’s hands from his collar. Gudrun neighed, Forrest nudged his heels into his stomach, and far too fast they were flying away from Papa. His special book was out, and Kana could see the white glow in his hand, burning brighter than the fires. 

“Papa!” Quickly he tried to turn in the seat, but Forrest held him tightly with one hand, and just like that Papa was gone. “We have to go back!” Kana screamed. “We have to go back for him! Forrest, we have to go back!”

“We can’t!” Forrest’s voice shook just as badly as his hands did around the reins, and Kana felt something hot and wet fall onto his forehead. “We can’t go back, Kana! Father will find us, all right? He’ll be all right!”

_ “I will find you there.” _

But Papa didn’t  _ promise. _

They didn’t stop riding. Not when home was far behind them, the air clean and sharp and free of smoke. Not when the moon peeked up from behind the mountains and the wind cut through their clothes like needles. Not when Kana’s eyes got so thick and heavy that he had to close them, his head bumping against Forrest’s chest like a heartbeat.

He could still see the fires in the dark behind his eyelids. 

* * *

**Five Years Later**

_ There.  _ Forrest sighed as he lowered his arms, running his hand over the braids that restrained his hair. Not too tight, not too loose: perfectly functional. He wished he had a mirror so he could see if there were any stray locks he’d missed, but carrying one around would be too impractical. 

“You’re good,” a soft voice whispered, and he smiled faintly as Kana clambered down from a rock next to him, his own hair a shaggy wild mess.  _ The second we’re through, I’m whacking that down to size. _ “You got them all. Even in the back.”

“I thought you were off with Selkie and Velouria,” Forrest said, returning his comb to its place in his pack. 

“I was. But there’s not really anything around. Just rocks and rocks and broken buildings. Same as everywhere else.” A pebble bounced off the ground next to Forrest’s feet, and he turned to see Kana perched on another boulder — well, not a boulder. Judging by the folds and ripples of the stone, it used to be a statue. Probably of some great lord long dead, remembered for a great deed long ago. Now it was just rubble.

_ The Lifeless killed every human being. Did they have to destroy the buildings and art too?  _ Forrest stared at the base of the statue, trying to read the inscription there.  _ I suppose dead people don’t have any need for art. _

“What does it say?” Kana hopped down from the statue, cocking his head as he stared at the letters. 

“I don’t know,” Forrest admitted; the stone had faded long before the arrival of Lifeless and dragons. “It doesn’t really matter, anyway. We’re leaving this place soon enough.” Or, at least, that was the hope: that they could finally escape this broken, silent world and prevent it from ever happening. It had been a long and dreary journey here, sailing across the Dividing Sea, but if what Father had said about this island was true… 

_ A shadow of hope is better than none at all.  _ Had Mother said that, or Father? He couldn’t remember anymore. 

“Today?” For some reason, Kana was frowning, his hands tugging at the blue kerchief round his neck. 

“Why? What’s the matter?” Forrest asked, squatting so that he was eye to eye with his brother. Soon enough, he wouldn’t have to do that anymore; Kana was growing taller and taller every day, his cheeks losing their roundness and taking on a hard, lean nature. A part of it scared Forrest — did that mean his brother wasn’t getting enough to eat, or was it just a sign of maturation? 

Kana bit his lip, staring down at the ground. “Papa will be there, won’t he?” 

Forrest nodded, grasping Kana’s shoulder. “But not Lifeless. He’ll be the way he’s supposed to be, Kana.” His chest ached at just the thought: his father, healthy and whole and  _ alive _ again. “And all of our aunts and uncles too. The sun will be shining, there will be noise and laughter and music…” Oh gods, how long had it been since they’d last dared to sing? Even when the sun broke through the clouds, it seemed nothing could break the constant, heavy silence. “You’ll love it, Kana.” 

“But…” His tugging on his kerchief quickened, and Forrest watched in alarm as tears welled in Kana’s eyes. “But what if it all goes wrong again? What if the Lifeless come back, and the dragons, and the—”

“That’s why we’re going back, Kana,” a soft, melodic voice replied, and Forrest glanced up to see Shigure approaching, his spear in hand. For so long, their cousin’s eyes had borne shadows underneath, his golden irises flat and hard — but now they held a spark, a flame inside that reminded Forrest of crowns and swords and amber sparkling in the sunlight. “Think about it. We know what went wrong here, so we have the advantage.” Shigure smiled. “I know it seems scary: going to another time, changing our past, defying fate. But isn’t that what our parents did?”

_ Yes, _ Forrest thought bitterly, staring at the crumbling remains of the town square around him.  _ And they failed.  _

That was the gambit: would knowing how the world ended be enough to change that end?

“The Sage says it’s time,” Shigure murmured. “We’re all gathered in the sanctuary.” 

Forrest winced; had he really lost track of time that easily? “I’m sorry.”

“No, it’s fine.” Once, such inconveniences would have pulled at Shigure’s lips, pinching his eyebrows together. Now, however, he seemed freer. Lighter. “We’ll meet you there.” His boots made a creaking noise as he retreated down the winding path through the rubble in the plaza; Forrest made a note to check the soles later for mending.

_ But I won’t have to check them. If he wants, Shigure can just buy another pair of boots, brand new.  _ The thought nearly made Forrest laugh. There had been no such thing as “brand new” for four years now. 

“Do you want to ride?” he asked Kana, making sure his steps were soft as they picked their way through the plaza. Gudrun stood nearby, grazing on one of the bushes that had clawed through the cobblestone. Kana nodded silently, propelling himself up into the saddle with a leap. His bare feet swung as Forrest mounted behind him, gently nudging Gudrun into a trot. Her hooves didn’t click against the stones, thankfully; she had thrown her horseshoes long ago, and they’d wrapped her hooves in leather to dampen the sound. The less noise, the better. 

The trail up the mountain to the Sevenfold Sanctuary was long; Forrest remembered the long hike their little band had taken to reach the top. Shigure had walked with them then, but now he flew on his pegasus towards the summit, a small shadow flitting through the sky like a bird. 

“Will Mama be there?” Kana suddenly asked, his voice just audible over the sound of gravel crunching under hooves. “When we go back?”

_ Mother.  _

“Yes,” Forrest said, trying to keep his voice level. “She should be there too. We’re heading back to before the final battle, so everyone’s parents should be there.” 

“Good.” Kana’s frame seemed to settle at that, his grip on the saddlehorn loosening. “Can you tell me about her again?” 

_ Oh, Kana. _ “You’ll meet her soon enough,” he said, unable to keep the thickness of his throat out of his voice. “That’ll be better than anything I could tell you.”

“But what if we get there and I don’t even recognize her?” Kana asked, turning around to look at him. His round red eyes were filled with worry again, his lips tugged down into a frown. “I don’t remember, Forrest.” 

_ I know, Kana.  _ A part of Forrest blamed himself for that; it had hurt so much to talk about her at first, when the memories had been fresh. Now they were just hazy images and whispered voices that floated around him when he fell asleep. But he knew where the true blame rested, and the leather reins squeaked in his hands as he tightened his grip. “What do you want to know?”

“What does she look like?” Kana’s voice was hushed, but Forrest could still hear his excitement, could see it in the way his shoulders bobbed up and down. 

“She has your eyes.” Forrest paused. “Well, actually, you have  _ her _ eyes, I suppose. Her hair is silver and long, with a soft curl. And we both have her ears. They say that she was very beautiful, able to charm any man with just a look.” 

Kana stared at him wide-eyed. “Really?”

Forrest smiled, patting his head. “Probably not. But I’m sure she’s beautiful, Kana.”

“She must have been. Papa married her after all.” Kana sighed, leaning forward until his nose brushed Gudrun’s mane. “I still don’t understand.” 

Forrest had an inkling about what Kana was talking about, but he still asked anyway. “Understand what?”

“Why he left her behind.” Kana folded his arms over the saddle’s gullet. “Why  _ we _ left her behind.” 

“Kana, Cyrkensia was lost,” Forrest murmured, his heart heavy as he stared at his little brother. They’d been over this what felt like a hundred times, but for some reason Kana couldn’t let it go. “Everything was in flames. We would have died if we had stayed any longer. Father…” His voice hitched, and he swallowed instead. “Father made the right decision.”

“But you said we don’t leave anyone behind,” Kana retorted, his voice sharper now. “Never. Not if they’re sick, not if they’re wounded. We don’t leave family behind. And Mama… Mama was family.” 

“I know,” Forrest whispered.

“Did he not love her?” 

“Of course he did!” Forrest exclaimed, pulling Kana away from Gudrun’s mane so he could face him. “Look at me. Father loved Mother deeply. He loved her so much that…” He swallowed again, pushing back the images burning in his mind: him sitting on Gudrun, just ten years old, watching as Papa sent them away from a city in flames all alone. “He loved her, Kana. Don’t think otherwise, all right? That’s just foolishness.” 

“All right,” Kana whispered, and Forrest winced as his brother leaned forward again, his figure hunched in a way that clearly stated the conversation was over.  _ I was too harsh, _ he thought, rubbing his forehead. It was so easy to snap these days what with the constant anxiety, always looking over their shoulders. 

_ All that will end soon. Today. No more running, no more hiding.  _

The crunching of gravel eventually turned to the muffled  _ clop _ of leather-shod hooves on cobblestones, and Forrest eased Gudrun to a halt, rubbing her neck. “Good girl,” he whispered, dismounting slowly, easing his weight softly onto the stones. Kana opted to just jump, his feet hitting the ground with a loud  _ smack. _ Even now they both cringed at the noise.

“Sorry,” Kana whispered, shrinking down. 

“No, it’s fine.” Forrest grasped his shoulder. “Soon, we’ll be able to be as loud as we want, remember?” Kana just nodded, his eyes downcast. With a sigh, Forrest grasped Gudrun’s reins in one hand and Kana’s hand in the other, leading them both inside the Sevenfold Sanctuary. 

“You finally showed up,” Shiro called out as they entered the main chamber, and Forrest flushed. “Thought that maybe one of the dragons ate you guys.” 

“Don’t speak like that, Shiro,” Siegbert reprimanded, though his voice trembled. “We truly were worried about you both.”

“Sorry.” Forrest sucked in a deep breath as he approached the group. “We took the slow route.” 

“Leave them alone, both of you,” Nina snapped, her grip on her bow tight. “Shigure was with them less than half an hour ago. You really think a dragon could have gotten them that fast?” But when Forrest and Kana reached them, her cheeks were pink. “Sorry about that, Forrest. Ophelia and I would have come to escort you, but her ‘starshine quartz glimmer’ or whatever the hell it is was needed up here.”

“Sacred Starshine Quartz!” Ophelia’s voice drifted over the crowd. 

“Yeah, that.” Nina let out a huff, blowing away a few errant strands of hair. 

“It’s perfectly fine,” Forrest reassured her, giving her a smile. “I appreciate the sentiment. But we were never in any danger.” 

“Good. That’s good.” Nina’s shoulders dropped, her bow slipping a few inches in her fingers. “Well, today’s the day. Hooray.” 

“You don’t seem very excited,” Sophie commented. Dwyer sat on a small box at her side, watching over their horses. “I mean, we’re going back in time, changing history! That’s pretty, well, historic!” 

“Yeah, and what are we gonna find on the other side?” Asugi muttered, his wooden skewer bobbing up and down in his mouth in time with his words. “We’re going back to a warzone, Sophie. Guess what that means: more Lifeless and more chances of us popping daisies.” 

“Aw, lighten up!” Forrest grinned as Kiragi popped in between Sophie and Asugi, his brown eyes sparkling as always. “We’ll get to see our parents again! And yeah, sure, there’ll still be Lifeless, but not as many as here. Besides, it’ll be fun. Dad told me stories about the war, and he said that everybody had their own treehouse in their camp!” 

“That sounds terrible,” Dwyer mumbled. “You have to climb up a ladder just to get to your bed?”

“My dad never mentioned a treehouse,” Sophie said, her face puzzled. 

“And Asugi? Think about all the candy you’ll get to eat!” Kiragi pointed out. “First thing I’m doing after we’re getting through is asking my mom to make one of her pies!”

“Wait, wait, hold it.” Asugi’s skewer paused abruptly, his eyes keen. “You mean the apple pie with the kick of cardamom?” Forrest couldn’t help but chuckle at his wide-eyed stare. “Gods, I’ve been dreaming about that pie for weeks…” 

“See?” Kiragi grinned triumphantly. “I can’t wait!” 

“Apple pie  _ does _ sound pretty good,” Dwyer agreed. However, his voice was somber. “Geez, how long has it been since we’ve had a cooked meal?” 

“Too long,” Nina sighed. “I’m so sick of eating just fruit and vegetables. And  _ raw _ too.” She froze. “N-No offense, Forrest.”

“None taken,” Forrest replied easily. “Trust me, I’m sick of it too.” Though Brynhildr’s power was key to their survival — they simply didn’t have the time to hunt or gather food — the thought of just being able to taste bread again made his mouth water. 

“What are you looking forward to when we go back, Kana?” Sophie asked, hands on her thighs as she bent down to smile down at him. 

“I… I don’t know,” Kana murmured softly, his hand tightening around Forrest’s. “I guess… I guess seeing Mama again. And Papa too.” 

“Meeting Lady Corrin is gonna be so cool!” Sophie agreed excitedly, bouncing up and down on the balls of her feet. “Dad told me all sorts of awesome stories about her — like the time she took down two armies single-handed, or when she disarmed two spearmasters at once, or when she used her dragon form to fly—”

“Yeah, yeah, we get it, Lady Corrin’s super cool,” Asugi grumbled. But his own eyes were still filled with excitement. “I just want to see King Ryoma in action again. Mom always talked about the glory days when we were on the run, you know. Well, when she actually wanted to talk. She said he could move so fast he could cut a fly in half.”

From what few memories Forrest had of his uncle, he had to agree. “They’ll all be in their prime. It should be an amazing sight.” Furtively, he glanced at Gudrun’s saddlebags, where Brynhildr was carefully stowed. Though they possessed all of the divine weapons, save for the Yato itself, knowing how to wield them was another matter. Their fathers had been the true masters of the weapons, able to level battlefields single handedly. All Forrest could do with Brynhildr was summon a few trees and grow food quickly. Even that left him exhausted. But Father had been a genius with Brynhildr, the earth itself answering his commands.  _ I wonder… I wonder if he’ll teach me. _

“Come on, everyone!” Forrest blinked, looking up to see Midori bounding towards them, her blue pigtails swinging. “Shigure and the Sage say it’s time!”

“They’ve been saying it’s time for the past hour,” Dwyer sighed, using his staff to push himself off the box. 

“But it’s really time! We’ve got the crystals activated and everything!” Midori bounced up and down again, then turned tail and rain, waving for them to follow. “Come on!” 

_ Here we go.  _ Despite his reassuring words to Kana, Forrest couldn’t help the butterflies in his stomach. “Just stay close to me and we’ll be fine,” he murmured to Kana, who nodded and clung to his hand. Leading Gudrun by the reins, they moved through the large screen doors to the inner sanctum of the sanctuary. It was the only structure on the island — perhaps in the entire world — that wasn’t a dilapidated husk. There weren’t even any tears in the screens, though they had certainly tracked in a hideous amount of mud. Thankfully, the Rainbow Sage had been understanding. 

The chamber was large enough that all of them fit, horses, pegasus, and wyvern included — Percy’s head stuck above the crowd as he sat on Ace’s shoulders. Of course, that did nothing to help the smell, and Forrest resisted the urge to pull out a handkerchief and breathe through his mouth. Despite the stench, his heart raced as he saw what everyone was staring at in front of the farthest wall. 

Light, pure and powerful, shone from a stone archway hastily cobbled together from broken stone. In front of the arch stood the Rainbow Sage himself, his elderly form bent over his staff as he faced them. With the sheer radiance behind him, only his silhouette was visible. “Wow,” Kana whispered, his eyes wide as he stared at the portal. “Do you feel that?” 

Forrest was about to ask what, when he gasped as the tips of his fingers began to buzz. It was like his hand had fallen asleep, and as the sensation traveled up his arms and legs, he shivered.  _ That amount of power… it’s astronomical. _

“The Dragon’s Gate is finally completed,” the Rainbow Sage said, his voice firm but weary. “I have used your friends’ translocation crystals to provide a structure for the spell, as well as a destination, but its power alone is not enough. I will remain behind to sustain the Gate until everyone has passed through. Then it will close.” He paused, swallowing. “Permanently.” 

A wave of outcry spread through the group, and Forrest cringed as Kana raised his hands to his ears to block out the noise. “What the hell is this?” Shiro barked, folding his arms across his chest. “You mean once we go through that gate, we’re never coming back?” 

“Indeed,” the Rainbow Sage said feebly. “I am sorry, but the crystals your friends gave me can only be used once. After the Gate is closed, they will shatter, rendering them unusable.” 

“So… So this is a one-way trip,” Caeldori said, her voice high and thin. “The second we go through that portal, we’ll be stuck in this past-world forever.” 

“Does it matter?” Soleil asked exasperatedly. “Come on, guys! We said we were gonna change the past, master our fate! You can’t get cold feet now!” 

“Besides, anywhere else is better than this shitheap of a world,” Asugi pointed out, folding his hands behind his head. “Here, we got nothing. There, we’ve got a chance.”

“And if that chance fails?” Siegbert asked. “We’re risking everything based on the assumption that we’ll  _ win. _ What if we don’t?”

“Then we’re no worse off, aren’t we?” Percy said. “Come on, guys! We just have to be brave.”

“Risking everything/Fear and hope mingle as one/Put one foot forward,” Mitama chimed in. 

“It’s our one chance, Siegbert,” Shigure added quietly, placing a hand on his shoulder. “Yes, we won’t ever have the chance to return to this world. But we’ll be able to avert the tragedies that destroyed our past. We’ll be giving our new home a better future than we ever could have.” 

“I’m afraid this debate must be cut short,” the Rainbow Sage interjected, his voice dampened by a slight cough. “I can only sustain the gate for so much time.” 

“Then I suppose we have no other choice,” Siegbert concluded, his voice grim. “We’re all in agreement then?”

The chamber was silent, everyone simply nodding their heads. 

“Let’s go, Sieg,” Shiro said, his hand tight on Raijinto. “Everyone, move out!”

Forrest sucked in a deep breath as their group began to move forward.  _ There truly is no going back. _ “Ready?” he asked, doing his best to give Kana a reassuring smile. 

To his surprise, his little brother had no fear on his face. Instead, his lips pressed firmly together, his eyes narrowed as if in concentration. “I’m ready,” he whispered, and for the first time in his life, Forrest envied his confidence.

When it was their turn to pass through the gateway, the light was blinding, and Forrest’s eyes watered from its intensity. Even Kana flinched back, but Forrest closed his eyes and squeezed his hand tightly.  _ This is for Father, for Mother, for Aunt Elise and Uncle Niles and Uncle Odin and…  _

Together, they stepped through to the past that would be their new future. 

* * *

As Sage of the Colored Lights, Almatar had seen many monstrosities. He had been the cause of many of them: his “divine” weapons, used for rampant slaughter the likes of which the world had never seen. But what stood in front of him was more than a monstrosity.

It was an abomination. 

The children of the fated ones had told him of what they simply called dragons. But now, face to face with one, he knew exactly what it was: a lifeless creation, simply a pale imitation of the dragons of old. Shadowy mist surrounded its form as it growled at him, a sound not unlike the roaring of many waters. It had no eyes, simply a bulbous head that shone the color of blood, black jaws snapping viciously. A dozen more filled the inner chamber, interspersed between the true desecration.

“So this is what he has done to you,” he whispered, his heart quivering as he stared at the shadowy wraiths consumed with violet flame. Some possessed spectral mounts, others simply stood, but all were silent. If not for the snarling of those shadow dragons, all he could have heard was his heartbeat. “By all the shining lights…” He’d known that Anankos could use corpses to do his bidding, but  _ this… _ This was beyond that. He recognized their forms from long ago, when Yato’s chosen had come to him for aid.  _ No wonder those children were so terrified.  _

A new form emerged from the sea of flames, shrouded in a dark cloak. “You are the Rainbow Sage.” 

“I am.” His voice held steady, despite the dead clustering around him. 

“You opened the gate.” 

It was closed now, blessedly. The children would be safe in the past, probably close to their parents by now. “I did.” 

“You will open it again.” There was no room for debate in that voice. 

“Your master has done quite enough to this world, Lifeless,” he rasped. “You think I would let your host desecrate another?” He coughed again, his limbs heavy. “Regardless, there are no crystals to form a spell lattice. You are trapped here.” 

Wordlessly, the shrouded figure moved towards the gate — now nothing more than a stone archway with the destination engraving for the spell — and withdrew something shining from its cloak. “We have crystals.” Almatar’s eyes widened as the figure placed two shining gems into the slots on each side of the archway, a golden glow seeping into the grooved channels carved into the rock. “You will power the gate, as His Majesty commands.” 

He laughed. “And why would I do that?” 

The leader of the Lifeless turned away from the gate, its footsteps audible against the stone as it approached Almatar. “You have no choice,” it declared. Not once had it displayed any sense of emotion. Typical for a Lifeless. 

Yet, when it stood before him, he did not see the wavering reflections of water nor the flames of Anankos’s undead troops in the shadow of its cloak. He saw whole flesh. Pale, but alive.

“Oh, child,” he whispered, staring at the shrouded face. “What has he done to you?”

She did not answer. In truth, he wondered if she could.

“His Majesty has ordered me to free you from your curse,” she said. “You have lived for eons. No longer.” 

He chuckled. “Free me from my curse? You know as well as I do, child, that my sins have not yet been paid. I must live until this world obtains true peace — until all cycles of conflict with the divine weapons have ended.” 

“They have ended.” 

Almatar gasped as his stomach grew very warm, a dull pang of pain spreading to his chest. Wide-eyed, he looked down to see the blade of a sword emerging from his flesh. The king of Hoshido held the other end of the weapon, flickering flames bathing the sword in an eerie glow. “His Majesty has eradicated all sources of conflict,” she continued. “And we will not rest until all worlds enjoy the peace we have created.” 

_ Ah… _ Flames raced down the sword’s length, and Almatar watched as his skin caught fire, yet did not burn.  _ So this is how you treat me, old friend? You enslave me to become one of your puppets? _

“I will… open the Dragon’s Gate,” he rasped, looking into the shrouded woman’s eyes. “But you… will not… win.”

Those children held the works of his own hands. Together with their fathers, they could avert this future. It would be enough.

He prayed it would be enough as the fire swallowed him whole. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm a little embarrassed at how long this chapter is, considering it's a prologue. But in the end, we've got a lot of ground to cover, and not much time. (We have to get to the LeoKamu, after all :)
> 
> Because the kids weren't chucked into the Babyrealms and instead lived in an apocalyptic hellscape for 5 years, you'll see some changes in their personalities and actions - but you might be surprised at how similar they are to their canon counterparts.
> 
> You might also notice that I've only got two official romantic pairings up in the relationship tags. The main reason for this is that if I dedicated time to each parental relationship, this fic would become a monster, and I'd probably give myself an aneurysm. The other reason is pretty simple: everyone has different shipping tastes, and since you are all here for the LeoKamu content, I wouldn't want to alienate any readers with my shipping choices (especially since I'm a huge fan of rarepairs, as you can see from my other works). That way everyone can sit back and enjoy the story. Don't worry though - I've definitely seeded some hints as to who the kid's mothers are, so if you're really interested in my personal ships, you can find them if you squint. 
> 
> Anyway, there won't be as much doom and gloom next chapter, and more action, so I hope you stay tuned! Enjoy and thanks for reading!

**Author's Note:**

> Hey guys! Thanks for coming along for the ride for another long-fic of mine! As you can tell, the premise is basically "what if the child characters weren't just awkwardly tossed into incubators so they could pop out as teenagers" and instead, "Awakening's premise was a lot better, let's go with that." While I've stewed on this idea for a while, I have two people to thank for inspiration: first, the user Fullfirefafar, who has written about a "failed Revelation" route before, and Mori_no_Majou, whose LeoKamu fic is basically worth its weight in gold. You definitely need to read it. 
> 
> I plan to update once a week, but will probably only update once before the end of July - considering Three House's release date and a family vacation, I will have no time to work! But I hope you all enjoy the ride. Thanks for reading and be sure to leave feedback in the comments. It truly helps me as a writer improve (and write faster)!
> 
> Links:  
> [Playlist](https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLpi3GKm4z6EGPAlpEA9Fzv1WrEYkz0xai)  
> [Track names](https://docs.google.com/document/d/151Fexsh49to5kkBscod-Rmrf1pl8Xnq8DhVVcq86HoE/edit)


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